Thursday, December 4, 2008

Telecommunications and Public Policy

Abstract

Public Broadcasting exists to provide access and help educate citizens about important and timely issues in their local area. The social and economic value of the continuous information flow that telecommunications technology provides cannot be overestimated. The government has an important role in promoting and protecting these opportunities for free speech, and should not suppress the wide range of expression in community media. The obligation to serve the public interest is integral to the "trusteeship" model of broadcasting--the philosophical foundation upon which broadcasters are expected to operate. (Zechowski)

Telecommunications and Public Policy

The “public’s right-to-know” about the business of government is a fundamental principal of our democratic government and open society. The Telecommunications act of 1996 was the first update on U.S. telecommunications law in almost 62 years. On February 8, 1996 President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act after an extended campaign of support by the House and Senate. “While touted as a landmark bill updating the sixty-year-old Communications Act for the benefit of U.S. consumers, the T96 Act was created by and for a communications industry dominated by global conglomerates”. (Lloyd)

History has proven that interpretation of the "public interest, convenience and necessity" is subject to prevailing political forces. (Zechowski) As a democratic society, it is our responsibility to address who gets to speak, who has access to knowledge, whose voices are heard, and who or what limit what we can, or cannot speak about. In order to have a communications environment that fosters democratic culture, diversity and civic participation, there needs to be less media consolidation and a shift away from corporate control to one with policies that prioritize community access. (Chester and Larson). According to Chester and Larson, there are ten key priorities to more democratic media, just a few of that list include;

· Calling for less, not more media consolidation, as media conglomerates seek to further consolidate their ownership, it is important for all citizens to join with the watchdog groups who are working to oppose homogenized commercial media as the only option.

· Building community broadband, because the cost of broadband internet access is still out of reach of many households, towns need to create local access wi-fi networks that are available to all.

· Open up the Cable TV monopoly, so that independent programmers and alternative channels can gain access.

The 1996 Act was touted as being a great consumer victory, with a promise of more competition that would lead to better services and lower prices. What the 1996 Act has actually delivered is a great number of additional partnerships and consolidations, along with higher prices for services such as cable and internet.

In our democratic society, we are constantly on the outlook for undue influence by the government on our communications. But we should be equally vigilant to make sure that a handful of powerful people or companies do not dominate our discourse either. Critics of the 1996 act claim "its extensive deregulatory provisions coupled with relaxed restrictions on concentration of media ownership dilute the public responsibility guarantees built into the Communications Act of 1934 and tilt the preference in favor of private market forces". (Messere)

A fundamental shift in the public debate has taken many by surprise in the civil rights community. “This "market" or "laissez-faire" capitalist vision of society holds that the common good is best understood as an unchecked individual pursuit of economic self-interest. This "market" vision has a particularly invidious effect on communications policy where commercial communications interests have long been formidable adversaries, adept at co-opting government and, more important, shaping public opinion”. (Lloyd)

Media is a critical element in achieving equal opportunity and full participation in civic life. Public views of communities, diversity of opinions on the issues, and social causes and their public debates are all part of a healthy democratic society. This means that access to the media by the largest possible scope of broadcasters is crucial to ensuring that diverse viewpoints are presented to the American people, and that all sectors of society are accurately depicted.

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New Bedford, Massachusetts

An Authentic Working Waterfront

Working Definition of Community

Being a member of a community isn’t always easy. In a world where friends can be a click away but a thousand miles apart, where you can be next to someone but can’t talk except via instant messaging, and where you don’t know your neighbors next door but you do know intimate details about your friends across the country on Myspace, a venture into community requires a trust in an unrelated network of people.

Whether communities are defined by geographical boundaries or by the categorization of who belongs to a community and who does not, both are essentially the same, as Cohen suggests “boundary marking processes and rituals are a vital tool for defining community, identity, belonging and exclusion, and give a sense of reality to specific communities, although in fact they are merely mental or social constructs of insiders and outsiders”.

In addition to the idea of community being a group of people with a common interest, be it geographical location, social clubs, religious beliefs or ethnicity, communities can also be influenced by external events beyond their control. With the current economic situation it seems like there’s more call for help and more people in need of support and assistance. In chapter 1 of Community-ariasm, Smith explains how the term community is both shaping and being shaped by society itself, in an endless loop or re-creation. Economic situations, new technologies, available education, and social opportunities are just some of the factors that can contribute to the way in which communities are shaped, and if they are sustainable or if they will eventually die out.

Even a concept as malleable as community has a common thread, however. In the various readings and articles we have covered so far, the idea of community being a vehicle for self-actualization is touched on repeatedly. One of the key benefits people get from participating in community and their reciprocal relationships is a sense of belonging that is a part of their individual identity. “People construct community symbolically, making it a resource and repository of meaning, and a referent of their identity’ (Cohen 1985: 118).

Another defining aspect, which also contributes to the constant flux of the definition of community, is that even though individuals can experience a sense of self through them, often communities are more than just the people who are in it. A community can continue to exist even as its individual members move through it, and as new members enter into it, the community itself can remain rather unchanged.

Aristotle tells us that community requires different kinds of capacity, interest and character among its members because through the interplay of diversities, people are able to serve as compliments of one another and to attain a higher and better life by the mutual exchange of different services. The phrase “sense of community” begins to get at this meaning. It refers to a sharing of common beliefs that involves a connection at a more personal or emotional level. Words like “passion,” “devotion,” and “commitment” also come to mind when discussing the concept “sense of community.”

It is usually assumed that when people feel that they belong to a community, they have an active interest in ensuring that it functions well and are more likely to contribute to the well-being of the community. The emphasis on a collective well-being over individuals is a large part of Community-ariasm which has a focus of interest toward communities and societies and away from the individual. Smith’s explains in Chapter 3 of Community-ariasm that as long ago as 1955 George Hillery listed some 94 definitions of community he had found in the social science literature, and concluded that the only thing they all held in common was a reference to people.

From our class readings so far, it is evident that the definition of community continues to shift and evolve, and the introduction of modern communication methods, i.e. instant messaging, internet, cell phones, etc. have contributed significantly to the rapidly changing idea of community on a global scale. Even with the constant change and the difficulty in defining exactly what community is, it seems clear that the strength of ties between the groups, no matter what the subject matter is, is truly the essence of definition of community.

Media and Community Building Conclusion

The boundaries of Community can sometimes be drawn on a map, other times it is a category of people or characteristics of members. (Smith) As a communication tool, community media is beginning to adapt to emerging technologies and the ever-sharpening interactive features online. As a result, community boundaries continue to change and realign, creating a new generation of members with a constantly-evolving sense of community.

In this enviornment, the media landscape will be reshaped by the bottom-up energy of media created by amateurs and hobbyists. (Blau) As an empowerment tool, it is among the poor and oppressed especially, that community becomes a means to group solidarity and mutual help. (Smith) Because Community Media is able to operate independent of traditional corporate influences, public access to Community Media is vital to the democratic health of a community.

Community Media is an effective means of citizens interacting with community leaders and politicians, and an invaluable tool for holding them accountable when necessary. Community Media is also a gateway for the enrichment of educational opportunities for community members who do not have private access to new technologies or who need assistance in utilizing them. The future of Community Media is an exciting prospect, as new technology allows for the dissemination of information with an immediacy never seen before, as well as a rapidly evolving web that features more and more interactive features for the consumer.

All of these exciting technologies require us – the consumers- to be well educated and informed as to who the source of the content is, as well as hone our abilities to discern for ourselves which of these technologies adds value to our individual lives and which don’t.